It’s been an year since the release of RRR. Many of you may have already seen it. Or, your interest got picked only after the Oscar win. But a lot of things in the movie are inspired by real events, even though fictional. Good to know these historical facts!
- RRR is set in the 1920s, during the Indian freedom struggle against British colonial rule. Alluri fought against the Brits and Bheem fought against the Nizam of Hyderabad.
- Alluri Sitarama Raju belonged to the state of Andhra Pradesh in India and belonged to the Kshatriya community. He fought in the Rampa Rebellion of 1922-24.
- Komaram Bheem: A tribal leader from the Gond community, belonged to Telangana.
- Fictional Storyline: RRR weaves a fictional tale of friendship between the two historical figures who never met in real life. There is a gap of 4 years in their biographies at about the same time. SSR wondered how it would have been if they met during that time and hence the movie!
- Even though Alluri belonged to an upper caste and was highly educated, he fought for the rights of tribals. This was after he became a saint. He was not always a saint and we do not know where he was or what he did during the 4 years. How did he get interested in working for the rights of tribals?
- Komaram Bheem belonged to a tribal community and initially did not know reading or writing. But after the 4 year gap, he emerged educated. In reality he was believed to be in hiding in Assam during that time, but in the movie he is shown as being in Delhi.
- There was nothing unusual about Alluri’s attire in his initial days. But after the 4 year gap, he started dressing like Lord Rama during the Aranyavaasam. What must have spurred him to dress like that?
- Alluri had a signature move. He always attacked the police stations and ammunition dumps to steal firearms. The troops he raised for the guerrilla warfare were always under equipped and they used the stolen firearms.
- It took a 2 year manhunt for the British Imperial Police to capture Alluri
- The Gond tribe lives in the parts of Telangana, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharastra. They speak a language of their own but are mostly bilingual and speak the prevalent languages of the region where they live. In the movie Bheem speaks in the Telangana dialect of Telugu.
- The Gond tribe worships trees and animals, which are a big part of their culture
- Alluri’s Early Life: Born in 1897 in Mogallu, Andhra Pradesh, he was influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and the Non-Cooperation Movement.
- Alluri’s Leadership: He led a guerrilla war against the British, earning the title “Rampa Rebels”. He belonged to the region close to the eastern ghats and the rebels were known as “Manyam Veerulu.”
- Death of Alluri: Killed by British forces on May 7, 1924, his efforts inspired future freedom fighters.
- Komaram Bheem’s Early Life: Born in 1901 in Sankepalli, Telangana, his parents were killed by the Nizam’s forces, sparking his rebellion.
- Komaram Bheem’s Guerrilla Warfare: He led the Gond tribals against the Nizam’s forces to protect their rights and ancestral lands.
- Komaram Bheem’s Slogan: “Jal, Jungle, Zameen” (Water, Forest, Land) became a symbol of the Gond community’s fight.
- Death of Komaram Bheem: He was killed on October 8, 1940, in a battle with the Nizam’s forces.
- British Expenses in Capturing Alluri: The British spent around 4.5 million Indian rupees (equivalent to over 45 million rupees today) in their efforts to capture Alluri and suppress the rebellion.
- Lasting Legacy: Both Alluri Sitarama Raju and Komaram Bheem are celebrated for their contributions to the Indian freedom struggle, and their stories continue to inspire generations. There are actual Districts named after them. Komaram Bheem district in Telangana and Alluri Sitarama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh.
Most of this info is based on internet sources such as Wikipedia and some old text books.
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